Rising toll of deaths from liver disease blamed on binge drinking and cheap alcohol

They paint an alarming picture of soaring deaths over the next 20 years due mainly to binge drinking, cheap alcohol and longer licensing hours.

Rising levels of obesity must also be cut to reduce the death toll, according to the papers accidentally released yesterday by the Department of Health.

Alcohol-related fatalities, which account for the vast majority of liver deaths, have doubled in 15 years, up from 4,144 in 1991 to 8,758 in 2006.

More than eight women die a day from liver problems, often at an earlier age than men.

Two million people are thought to have chronic liver disease, but many are unaware of it and up to half of sufferers die immediately when it becomes an acute illness.

The NHS, however, is ill-equipped to cope, its medical director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh admits in the documents.

The report calls for the Government to approve a specific "liver strategy" for England.

It found:

Liver services are patchy across the country.

Diagnosis is not occurring early enough, with many cases not diagnosed until they are in the final - and very costly - stages.

Government campaigns to tackle alcohol, drug abuse and obesity are often not targeted at high risk and vulnerable groups.

"Liver disease is a significant issue," says Sir Bruce.

"It is the fifth more important cause of death in the UK - which is the only developed nation with an upward trend in mortality.

"Increasing numbers of younger people are dying from liver disease. Yet liver disease is almost entirely preventable."

The report commissioned research by Newcastle University to support the case for a national liver strategy.

It concludes that "the NHS requires more capacity to respond to liver disease, and needs to prepare for a potentially large burden of liver disease".

The study suggests a six-point plan to detect the disease earlier and improve treatment.

It aims to tackle the three main causes liver disease - alcohol, obesity and viral hepatitis B and C - and develop a national registry of patients and a comprehensive alcohol liaison service.

The plan - marked "restricted" - was yesterday released by accident to the media by the Department of Health.

However, the proposal is marked "not urgent" and, if agreed, a strategy would only be in place by summer next year.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said: "It's extraordinary that while we are staring at a growing epidemic of liver disease, particularly alcohol-related, the Government can be so remarkably complacent."

Professor Roger Williams, the liver expert and surgeon who fought in vain to save George Best, said a national liver strategy is "long overdue".

He added: "The three big changes needed are raising taxes, reducing access and dealing with advertising and so far they have been ducked by the Government. Education can only do so much, we need some teeth behind any new initiatives."

One in five women and one in three men drinks at a hazardous level - 14 units or more a week for women and 21 for men, with a unit being a glass of wine or half a pint of beer.

Frank Soodeen of the charity Alcohol Concern said the liver strategy had to encourage heavy drinkers to discuss the problem with their GP before they become patients.

Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo announced last week a £10million education campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of too much alcohol.